Titelberg
Encyclopedia
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
in the extreme south west of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. In the 1st century BC, this thriving community was probably the capital of the Treveri
Treveri
The Treveri or Treviri were a tribe of Gauls who inhabited the lower valley of the Moselle from around 150 BCE, at the latest, until their eventual absorption into the Franks...
people. The site thus provides telling evidence of urban civilization in what is now Luxembourg long before the Roman conquest
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Geography
The site lies some 3 km to the south west of PétangePétange
Pétange is a commune and town in south-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Esch-sur-Alzette, which is part of the district of Luxembourg. Pétange lies on the borders with both Belgium and France....
and 3 km north west of Differdange
Differdange
Differdange is a commune with city status in south-western Luxembourg. Differdange is an industrial city that was home to much of Luxembourg's steel production, and lies near the borders with Belgium and France...
on a bare plateau some 390 m above sea level. It is surrounded by steep forested slopes which run down to the Chiers, a hundred meters below. It can be reached from Niedercorn by taking the road to Roudenhaff and making a right turn towards the Fond de Gras.
Background
The Celts inhabited large areas of Europe from the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
to the Rhine and Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
during the 6th to 1st centuries BC, a period sometimes referred to as La Tène after a site in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
where continental Celtic remains were first discovered. It was around 100 BC that the Treveri
Treveri
The Treveri or Treviri were a tribe of Gauls who inhabited the lower valley of the Moselle from around 150 BCE, at the latest, until their eventual absorption into the Franks...
, one of the Celtic tribes, came into a period of prosperity. They constructed a number of settlements or oppida near the Moselle valley in what is now southern Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Titelberg was by far the largest of the Treveri settlements, no doubt as a result of its proximity to two of the most important Celtic roads, one from the south connecting the Rhone to the upper Moselle and the north, the other leading to Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
and the west. Another attraction was the iron ore which could be mined in the immediate vicinity.
The site
Covering an area of some 50 ha, the oval-shaped Titelberg plateau is approximately 1 km long (NW to SE) and 500 m wide. It was occupied continuously for 700 years from about 300 BC. There is evidence of sporadic settlements dating back even further, perhaps to 2000 BC or before. From the 1st century BC and during the Gallo-Roman period, foundations of masonry replaced the earlier, less durable constructions. These, together with the 9-m high earthen ramparts around the periphery, clearly demonstrate the importance of the Celtic oppidum which appears to have been the seat of the Treveri chiefs.Although some interest had been shown in the site in 1928, serious archaeological excavations began in 1968 and continue today. These have been coordinated by Luxembourg's National Museum of History and Art
National Museum of History and Art
The National Museum of History and Art , abbreviated to MNHA, is a museum located in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is dedicated to displaying artworks and artefacts from all epochs of Luxembourgian history...
with the assistance of specialists from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. In particular, the digs have unearthed the main residential area in the centre of the plateau and the public or recreational area, a few hundred meters to the south east. Both are located to the west of the farm road through the site which follows the path of the old Celtic/Roman road. There is also evidence of metal working and coin-minting activities long before the Roman conquest.
Celtic period
While there is evidence that the site was probably inhabited as far back as 2000 BC, the beginnings of urban civilization can certainly be traced back to the 2nd century BC when there were bronze-working shops at the site. In the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, the oppidum had become a civilized community trading with other Gallic centres. The Treveri nobles appear to have occupied the dwellings at the centre of the plateau. The Celtic tombs excavated in the vicinity, specifically at ClemencyClemency, Luxembourg
Clemency is a commune and town in south-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Capellen, which is part of the district of Luxembourg....
, at Scheierheck near Goeblange
Goeblange
Goeblange is a village in the commune of Koerich, in southern Luxembourg about 13 km west of Luxembourg City. , the village has a population of 425.-Location:...
and at Kreckelbierg near Nospelt
Nospelt
Nospelt is a village in the commune of Kehlen, in south-western Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 754. It is known above all for its potters who were particularly successful during the 19th century.-Location:...
contain a range of articles including wine flagons, spurs, knives, lances and oil lanterns testifying to the aristocracy of those buried.
The entire site was originally surrounded by 10 m high, reinforced ramparts, sometimes called a Murus Gallicus
Murus Gallicus
Murus Gallicus or Gallic Wall is a method of construction of defensive walls used to protect Iron Age hillforts and oppida of the La Tene period in Western Europe.The distinctive features are:* earth or rubble fill...
, with fortified doors at either end of the road through the site. The ramparts were later largely removed by the Romans except at the SE end where they can still be observed.
A deep ditch, 4 m wide, perpendicular to the road, separated the residential space from the public space. The residential area covering about 30 ha consisted of rectangular houses, 14 m long by 8 m wide, built of light masonry. They were equipped with fireplaces and sometimes ovens. In the public space, the remains of a large hall, 14 m square, have been found. This could have been a meeting place for political or religious purposes.
One of the most important finds on Titelberg has been a huge number of Celtic coins which come not only from the Treveri themselves but from several other Celtic tribes. This indicates that it was a centre of trade and commerce during the Celtic period. In addition, facilities for minting coins have also been excavated close to the residential area and appear to have been used over an extended period.
A very large number of both Celtic and Gallo-Roman fibulae have also been found on the site. In a multitude of different shapes and sizes, these bronze clasps, sometimes hinged, were used either as ornamental brooches or for holding garments together.
Gallo-Roman period
About 20 years after the Roman conquest, the Celtic oppidum was completely reworked and two streets perpendicular to the main were constructed. The houses too were replaced with Roman buildings which had stone foundations and cellars. These were however generally demolished two decades later at the time the Romans moved their centre of interest from Titelberg to TrierTrier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
.
The Treveri, despite one early battle, apparently adopted Roman culture and religion fairly easily. Titelberg, though no longer a capital, became a prosperous vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
with a range of activities, especially metal working. In particular, minting of coins and smelting extended at least until around 337 as one of the coins found at the site of the smelter bears the likeness of Constantine II
Constantine II (emperor)
Constantine II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. Co-emperor alongside his brothers, his short reign saw the beginnings of conflict emerge between the sons of Constantine the Great, and his attempt to exert his perceived rights of primogeniture ended up causing his death in a failed invasion of...
. In the public area, a square-shaped Gallo-Roman temple was built which was later extended with a roofed porch on all sides.
Similar sites
Titelberg resembles a number of other Celtic oppidum sites. In particular, BibracteBibracte
Bibracte, a Gaulish oppidum or fortified city, was the capital of the Aedui and one of the most important hillforts in Gaul. It was situated near modern Autun in Burgundy, France. The material culture of the Aedui corresponded to the Late Iron Age La Tène culture,In 58 BC, at the Battle of...
, probably the capital of the Aedui
Aedui
Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , were a Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France. Their territory thus included the greater part of the modern departments of Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d'Or and Nièvre.-Geography:The country of the Aedui is...
, near Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
has similar dimensions and fortifications. Manching
Oppidum of Manching
The Oppidum of Manching was a large Celtic proto-urban or city-like settlement at modern-day Manching , Bavaria . The settlement was founded in the 3rd century BC and existed until c. 50-30 BC. It reached its largest extent during the late La Tène period , when it had a size of 380 hectares...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
is a considerably larger site and Ensérune
Oppidum d'Ensérune
The Oppidum d'Ensérune is an ancient hill-town near the village of Nissan-lez-Ensérune, France, located between Béziers and Narbonne close to the D609 and Canal du Midi....
near Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
in southern France also has a hilltop position.